[Cyberyeti]

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You play basically natural methods here, what do you bid ?

[pescetom]

Natural against 0-? is somewhat like defending against kicks with fists...
but in this case it pretty much has to be 3NT (with slam interest he bids on).

[DavidKok]

What's the upper limit of the opening bid?

At any rate, I expect partner to "not have a good 17". Plus, we are staring at a bit of a misfit. 3NT seems fine. The only realistic alternative I see is 4NT (quantitative), over which partner can show their secondary club suit if they have any (but this treatment seems to be non-standard?) and we might steal a sharp 6♣. But those are some long odds.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2022-February-13, 15:23, said:

What's the upper limit of the opening bid?

At any rate, I expect partner to "not have a good 17". Plus, we are staring at a bit of a misfit. 3NT seems fine. The only realistic alternative I see is 4NT (quantitative), over which partner can show their secondary club suit if they have any (but this treatment seems to be non-standard?) and we might steal a sharp 6♣. But those are some long odds.

Upper limit is about 9 I believe.

4N did cross my mind, but my issue was that in other diamond auctions, 4♥ would be keycard, 4N would be diamond support and a heart void, so I wasn't clear what applied in this auction. 3N was my choice at the table.

[DavidKok]

Cyberyeti, on 2022-February-13, 15:42, said:

4N did cross my mind, but my issue was that in other diamond auctions, 4♥ would be keycard, 4N would be diamond support and a heart void, so I wasn't clear what applied in this auction. 3N was my choice at the table.

That's why I don't play this. Keycards are great, but here you have a way to confirm diamonds by bidding 3♥ and then control bidding (or asking key cards) on the next round. Conventions are great, but at least one of the slow and direct 4NT should not be some specialized keycard.
I keep being baffled by how many slightly different flavours of ace asking bids people want in their arsenal. I think most of those are a waste of memory, and often also a waste of bidding space.

[pescetom]

We play 4♧ as RKCB(◇) here, less of a sacrifice than 4♡ or 4NT. Far from 'natural' however.

[Cyberyeti]

Partner's hand was something like void, Kxxx, AQ10xx, AQxx and I can understand the reluctance to bid 4♣ if my heart stop is QJx they have just telegraphed the heart ruff in 6♣, and 6N might be a mess.

This was a flat board in 3N+4 when one of our team mates psyched a 15-17 1N overcall on ♠Q10xxxxx and out over 1♦.